Real-life Mario Kart is coming to Australia and we are so, so ready

If you’ve ever considered hopping on a plane to Japan then you’re no doubt aware that one of Tokyo’s most popular attractions is real-life Mario Kart.

Guess what? Now it’s coming to Australia.

A company called MariCAR has offered “real-life superhero go-karting” under the guise of a city street tour through Akihabara, Tokyo’s tech district, since late 2016.

It may sound a little dangerous, and that’s because it is. But considering Japan is known for incredible gaming experiences, it’s really no surprise that they decided to take it one step further by making virtual a reality.

The Australian version has been dubbed “Mushroom Racing” and will be coming to Melbourne and Sydney.

Just like in Tokyo, racers will don a costume of their favourite Mario Kart character and cackle hysterically while zipping around in go-karts shouting “let’s-a-go” and “it’s Bowser time”.

The website doesn’t provide a great deal of information but it’s possible that the Aussie races will be around a (hopefully) rainbow track, rather than the city streets.

What we do know is that MariCAR isn’t behind this new version and neither is Nintendo. Dates are yet to be confirmed, but any races will be ticketed events – you can get notifications about when, where and how by signing up for the newsletter here.

While Mushroom Racing is not affiliated with the Tokyo company, it’s pretty safe to assume the rules for Mushroom Racing will be similar to the Japenese version.

This means that banana peel throwing and pre-placed traps are likely out of the question. Sad, but probably for the best.